Why Coach Net or Good Sam for emergency road service.

[Hook]

We have State Farm for our vehicle insurance and emergency road service. They seem to offer everything I would need for emergency road service for all our vehicles including the motor home. They assured me that they would provide any assistance that we would need on our trip on the Alcan thru Canada when we leave later this year to the lower 48.

What am I missing here? Why do you or I need extra insurance like Coach Net or Good Sam For emergency road service and towing?

I am not looking for bells and whistles like trip planning, camping or shopping discounts, etc...Educate me, thanks.

Hook

[rgatijnet1]

Can you call State Farm 24/7 and speak to a technician that can talk you through a problem that may get you back on the road, or may get your heat working on a cold night, or your refrigerator working before the food spoils? That was a rhetorical question because I know State Farm cannot do that but Coach Net can.
We travel off of the beaten path where sometimes the nearest gas station is close to 100 miles away. It is nice to have technical assistance by phone when you need it.

[dbates]

I use to have State Farm ERS on both my toad (every day car) and MH. Over the years they did a very good job covering ERS for my toad but after reading their policy I questioned their coverage for the MH and the agent had to agree that it my not cover the full tow service cost to a qualified MH repair center. I then compared ERS coverage between State Farm, Progressive and Good Sam's. Progressive has much broader MH coverage and better ERS than State Farm for about the same overall premium. Progressive had about the same ERS coverage as Good Sam's but for much less cost. I switched all of my MH coverage to Progressive and have been very satisfied with them even after replacement of two windshields and substantial tornado damage claims with very small premium increases over the past five years.

Based on many forum posts it appears that coverage from one area of the USA to another can make substantial differences in coverage and cost with any one insurer. So what is good in my area may not be as good in another area with the same insurer.

Dave

[Hook]

Just got back from a run to boat shop in Homer.

Thanks, really appreciate the replies. With these questions that you all have posted I will approach our agent eyeball to eyeball. I have a print out of Coach Net showing their offerings but it does not show amounts or limitations.

The agent over the phone said their emergency number is 24/7, tow to the facility that can accomplish the repairs, no up front or out of pocket cost, tow company bills directly, no limitation on cost or frequency of tows, provide road side repairs such as mechanical repairs, tires, jumps, fuel, oil, lock out, etc. Will also tow the toad or trailer even if it takes two tow trucks. Size is not limited, if it is a motor home.

The agent also said that the tow companies except all the major insurances and State Farm is thru out the US and Canada. I have used it numerous times with our smaller vehicles and one time with the truck with the cab over camper pulling a boat, no issues.

With all my vehicles insured with State Farm for the last 50 years and my discounts the motorhome ER policy is only 14.00/yr.

More research and home work to do, need to start pulling numbers for comparisons. If anyone has direct experience not being towed with a State Farm policy I would like to hear from you. Thanks

Hook

[jorbill2or]

Do they contract with commercial truck towing companies that can tow a large rig ? with a semi truck tow truck or heavy equipt lowboy hauler? GS and Coachnet do.Do they have a RV tech on the phone to talk you through some problems?

[MarkTwain]

State Farm vs other Roadside Emergency services plans.
A thought to consider---Is ERS RV service for State Farm their only or primary purpose/plan?

[rk911]

Hook wrote:
We have State Farm for our vehicle insurance and emergency road service. They seem to offer everything I would need for emergency road service for all our vehicles including the motor home. They assured me that they would provide any assistance that we would need on our trip on the Alcan thru Canada when we leave later this year to the lower 48.

What am I missing here? Why do you or I need extra insurance like Coach Net or Good Sam For emergency road service and towing?

I am not looking for bells and whistles like trip planning, camping or shopping discounts, etc...Educate me, thanks.

Hook

you wouldn't assuming that State Farm has the same or better coverage than GS or CoachNet. have you compared the plans?

[MarkTwain]

MWJones wrote:
When I had State Farm (and paying way TOO much) they had a $125.00 limit per tow and you contacted a tow company and paid them and filed a claim for reimbursement and waited for you money!!

My rear springs broke on my TT so I could not drive it. The sent a 45' flat bed trailer to wench the TT up and towed me 40 miles to a qualified shop. Total cost of tow $1200 if I would have to had pay on my own. Good Sam paid the whole cost with no cost to me:):)
PS, This same problem happened a second time years later, the tow cost me $0. they had to tow the TT 50 miles away. The shop had it fixed the next morning.d

[MarkTwain]

ERS services?? questions to ask:
1. Does state Farm provide ERS services uniformly in all states, cities, counties?
2. Does State Farm have any exceptions regardig the size, model A, C, TT, 5th wheel rv units? Will they provide a large 45' flat bed trailer if they have to wench the whole unit to tow it to get fixed. Will they tow your motorcycle , golf cart as well, if you have one? My truck fuel pump went bad while I was towing a 32' TT. Good Sam ERS tow service unhooked my 1 ton truck and wenches it up on the flat bed. Then he hooked up to trailer and away we went to the nearest Dodge Dealer 50 miles away. At the dealership, the driver unhooked the TT, lowered the truck to the shop, then he hooked up my TT and drove me a near by RV Resort and set it up in my RV site:):)
3. Do you have to pay up front or will the towing service just bill your ERS service?
4. Is it the policy of State Farm to only tow you ONLY to a facility that is qualified to fix your RV?
5. Are there any limitations on the milage distance you can be towed? Do you have to pay extra per mile if your tow is beyond your policy? How much per mile do you have to pay?
6. Will your ERS provide services for all your vehicles, even in your own back yard i.e. dead battery?
7. Will State Farm provide a 7/24 phone tech service assistance.

[MWJones]

When I had State Farm (and paying way TOO much) they had a $125.00 limit per tow and you contacted a tow company and paid them and filed a claim for reimbursement and waited for you money!!

[willald]

Ask your insurance agent this:

If I break down late at night, on a weekend or holiday in the middle of nowhere and have no idea who to call for towing assistance, do you provide a 24/7 phone # I can call, where someone will answer, determine my location, find the closest towing service or whatever that I need, and get them to my location to help me?

That is frequently the big difference with Good Sam ERS, AAA, or Coach Net. They provide a call center open 24/7 that you can call. They will find you a towing service or whatever you need closest to you and get them to your location when you're in unfamilar territory and don't know who to call.

The peace of mind that gives you, IMO that alone makes it worth the $$.

A policy with State Farm or whatever insurance that covers expenses from a breakdown AFTER its done and over, but no 24/7 call center to help you when you're stranded during off hours....Doesn't do you much good when you're broke down, stranded in the middle of nowhere and don't know who to call to get help.

[deandec]

Coach Net even has plans that limit the tow mileage. So select according to your usual tolerance decisions on how much insurance for towing you need.

So ask State Farm how many tows and if there are limits on the distance.

I have had tows that would have cost over $1,000 from GS and CN, but were free under their plan.

[Trackrig]

autorot8 wrote:
If you need a tow or roadside service, do you have to pay and insurance reimburse? GS or CN, you just call and they handle.

If you're about to buy, don't just ask if they tow, but ask how far they'll tow it at their cost. The last time we checked, there was a big difference.

Bill

[autorot8]

If you need a tow or roadside service, do you have to pay and insurance reimburse? GS or CN, you just call and they handle.

[Road_Runners]

My insurance, USAA, does not provide towing.